Hallelujah
by Love-your-suit
Summary: Sad. Hard to explain without giving away the plot. One-shot. Pepper/Tony. Listen to Kate Vogele - Hallelujah for added effect.


Author's Note: I would honestly suggest you listen to Kate Vogele's version of Hallelujah while reading this fic. Be gentle, it's my first time..

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding Ironman, Marvel, or Hallelujah. Off this fic, I make no money.

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Hallelujah

He had been working in the work shop until he was nodding off standing tired. He had thrown away the Mark I arc reactor, it was more or less unusable anyway. His second arc reactor had been demolished by Stanes death. So he had made himself a third and just the third. It had been made quickly, while he was still trying to shake off the fight with Stane. Where his math was always correct, it's hard to keep focused when you are barely able to sit up in a chair and working on limited time.

He finally relented to the sleep nagging him, settling in his bed. His only modesty a sheet tucked around his waist. He dreamed of her, of their dance. He dreamed of how his faith in everything was restored by seeing her on the balcony. The moonlight made her all the more beautiful. To him, it took over his heart and made him think "Hallelujah".

Their dance had been simple, but so complex. Each of them marveling in the heat of the other. While at the same time trying to ignore the warm looks and the loving smiles. Her breath on his face as she leaned in. It made his heart beat painfully fast, his chest clench up to the point of making him cringe.

Outside his dream his hands were reaching up to his chest, clutching around the flickering arc reactor. The beautiful glow that couldn't compare to that of Pepper in any sense. Pepper was a bigger factor in saving his life than the glowing circle embedded in the flesh of his chest. To Pepper, however, his arc reactor was her "Hallelujah".

His dream remained pleasant despite the tightness in his chest. He asked her to dance again, out on the silent and empty balcony. With a flush of her pale, freckled cheeks she accepted, the two of them dancing to a tune only they could hear. His eyes were sharp and focused on only her, and her eyes were lit up by the arc reactor, bouncing it's soft blue light off her bright blue eyes, making her look all the more radiant.

Wait, his arc reactor shining in her eyes? Weren't they dancing near a ball, in a suit he had made sure covered any trace of the light? As he glanced around he found them in his shop. Loose sweat pants and a bare chest contrasting strikingly with her professional skirted suit. But she was smiling up at him, swaying with him still to music that wasn't there. She never really cared for music, though.

She moved closer to him, almost completely closing the distance between them again. For that moment he wasn't perched on the throne of Stark Industries. He swallowed hard, looking down at her. With just her smile, from his lips she drew a "Hallelujah".

He had been so alone without her being this close and he just now really noticed. He stopped his sway, whispering, "You know, I've been lonely my whole life. Well, at least until I met you, Miss Potts"

She pulled her head back a bit to study him, making his chest clench again painfully. He had startled her. He watched her calculate the situation like he calculated machines. She slipped her thin frame away from his, shaking her head to show she couldn't do this. He reached his hand out to her, pleading words dying on his lips, he felt like he couldn't get air to speak. He knew it was because his heart was walking away. With a shake of her head, her strawberry hair covering her eyes, she left. All he could manage was a cold and broken "Hallelujah".

His chest tightened more, it felt like his heart was being ripped apart. He fell to his knees in pain, wondering if it had been better if he had never seen the light, her light. He clutched his chest painfully, but he didn't cry. He hadn't cried since his parents had died, he wouldn't start now. He rested his head back, watching the ceiling, telling himself his vision was blurry because of the pain he felt in his chest. His vision slowly went black. Oh well, he needed sleep.

Outside his dream his arc reactor had stopped working a few hours before. Pepper had come into his room and spotted him, and the glaringly obvious lack of light shining from his chest. She sat down on the edge of the bed, unsure if he was still alive. She set her hand gently on his chest, both pained and happy to feel the steady rise and fall of his chest. To her, every breath he drew was "Hallelujah".

She tried to wake him up, she called his name, touching his pale cheek with the pads of her fingers. He was completely non-responsive, his breathing slowly becoming shorter, jerkier. There was nothing she, or anyone else could do. He wouldn't share the secrets of how to make an arc reactor, and his only one rested in his chest, dead, as he soon would be.

His vision returned to see his Pepper standing over him, he could make out his work area and the ceiling that still had scars from several of his experiments with his suit. He smiled weakly to her, enjoying the feel of her fingers pressed against his cheek. She was kneeling between his legs, her face once more near his. This time, however, there was no glow from the arc reactor to brighten her eyes, not that she needed light to do that. He noticed that his arc reactor had completely died. He was calm, Pepper was near.

With a tearful eyes and a sad smile she leaned in and kissed him. The minor fall of his arc reactor overshadowed by the major lift of Peppers lips pressed to his. He kissed her back like she was his only tie to the living world, which she was. She tasted just like he always knew she would. When they pulled back he watched her with a pleasant smile, wiping away her tears from her cheeks. He relaxed against his desk faintly, slipping away into happiness.

Out of his dream, Pepper had kissed him gently. She smiled as she noticed he tasted like she always knew he would. His breath was even fainter now, his pulse barely registering. As finally he settled into the mattress, it was her turn to utter a cold and very broken "Hallelujah"


End file.
